


And that's the truth.

by Dame_Dulces



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bisexual Saihara Shuichi, Eventual Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, M/M, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi-centric, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 23:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16377251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dame_Dulces/pseuds/Dame_Dulces
Summary: An AU where Shuichi gets dumped, tries (and fails) to solve a case he suspects Kokichi of committing, and questions his inner feelings. *tickle fic





	And that's the truth.

**_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._ **

The alarm clock buzzed. A pale hand smacked it, effectively putting it on snooze. The owner of the hand sat up groggily, glaring at the time.

6:30. Time to wake the hell up.

Shuichi groaned. He couldn’t believe it was already Monday. The crappy weekend had gone by so fast. Funny, because all he had done was lay in bed and mope.

He leaned over to the other side of the bed and grabbed his phone. He swiped up and cringed when he saw his wallpaper. A blonde girl with a music pin in her hair, smiling cheerfully into the camera. Damn. He forgot to change it after Friday. Another punch to the gut he wished he could have avoided.

Pushing the memories of the weekend out of his mind, he dragged himself out of bed and started getting ready for the long day ahead of him.

 

**_~72 hours ago~_ **

 

“Shu… I’m sorry, but I just don’t see us going anywhere.”

Kaede pitifully held his hand from across the table. He knew this conversation had been a long time coming, but he didn’t think it would happen this soon. And God, it was killing him. The way she was looking at him, like he was some pathetic homeless animal or something. Although it wasn’t too far from the truth. He was pathetic.

He blubbered over his next words. “Wh-what do you mean? We can go wherever you want! Let’s go to Kyoto, like we’ve been planning. I know you’ve been dying to go…”

She bit her lip as she rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. “That’s not what I mean… I meant that, I think we’re growing apart. I don’t see a future with you.”

 “Why not?”

She paused, carefully considering her next words. “I just… I… I don’t know if I can be happy with you long-term.”

“Well, why not? Don’t I make you happy?”

“That’s not the question you should be asking, Shu.”

He stared at her like she was crazy. “What do you mean? What question should I be asking?”

She sighed, pulling away her hand.  “You’re a smart guy. I know you’ll figure it out someday. Use those detective skills and investigate yourself.”

And with that, she stood up, swinging her purse over her shoulder and disappearing without another word. Leaving Shuichi alone.

 

**_~Present day~_ **

 

Shuichi had miraculously made it to work on time. Give or take a couple minutes. He had managed to avoid his coworkers and, more importantly, his supervisor Kirigiri. He wasn’t in the mood for endless questioning about his weekend escapades or his current relationship status with Kaede. Detectives were nosy like that. Even the “professionals”.

He glanced at the thin file on his desk. His newest case assignment.

There wasn’t much information due to the various bizarre circumstances revolving around it. The petty crimes had started off several months ago when some big corporate buildings were vandalized with strange clown-like caricatures. They escalated to harmless pranks, where small groups of people dressed as clowns would follow random men and women around the city spooking them. But more worrisome was the recent theft of a priceless black diamond from the national science museum that had been tied to the previous pranks, due to the clown-like caricature found drawn on the walls at the scene. Besides that clue, the culprit (or culprits) left behind very little evidence, hence earning the name “Phantom Thief”. There were no leads to go on, since the original group of people couldn’t be identified due to their clown disguises. No one was even sure if it was a one-man crime or the efforts of a group heist. Some were even starting to say it wasn’t a person but a vengeful ghost, coming back to wreak havoc on the anthropologists who had unearthed the gem from an ancient tomb in South America.

Whoever it was, they were almost able to commit the perfect crime.

Almost.

Shuichi had a hunch about the identity of the perpetrator. And his hunches were usually correct.

After reading through the file one last time, he grabbed his black coat and rushed out of the office.

 

~

 

“Shuichiiiiiii. You’ve decided to grace me with your presence once more. Wow, I’m so lucky!!”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow as Kokichi greeted him. He stood in front of the doorway to his apartment, grinning madly at the detective from five inches below. In his early twenties, Kokichi had experienced somewhat of a growth spurt, but he was still shorter than most men his age. Or people for that matter.

“I was literally here last week. You act like you never see me.”

Kokichi yawned. “I know, I was just being dramatic. Anyway! What brings the dashingly handsome detective to my doorstep today?”

Shuichi’s face turned red at the compliment. “Uuuhm, uh, I wanted to ask you about something. Can I come in?”

“Sure thing. Just make sure you take off your disgusting shoes before you step all over my nice white carpet.”

“I’m sorry. I was in a rush last time.”

“Blah blah blah. Hurry up! You’re letting all the cold air out!”

Shuichi stepped inside, immediately removing his loafers so as not to get yelled at again. He placed them in front of a neatly arranged shoe rack, which had various purple shoes of all styles. Slip ons, sneakers, dress shoes, even some flip flops and sandals. All of which were about ten sizes smaller than Shuichi’s.

 _Kokichi has such small feet_ , the detective thought to himself as he scanned the room.

Kokichi’s apartment was almost blinding. The walls, carpet, and most of the furniture were all white, apart from his black leather couch and the purple-tinted artwork hanging on the walls. Despite that, there wasn’t a speck or dirt or dust to be seen. The purple haired boy sure had cleaned up in his early adult years.

Shuichi flopped down on the couch. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, taking a second to relax and decompress. However, his peace was cut short by the feeling of Kokichi straddling his lap. His eyes shot open and met the devious gaze of his friend.

He felt heat rising in his face and ears. His heart pounded in his chest. Being this close to him felt so… intimate. Kaede was the only other person he had ever been this close to. He'd been curious about how it felt with Kokichi, but now that it was actually happening...

“U-um, what are you doing?” he spit out nervously, unsure of what to do or where to put his trembling hands.

Without answering, Kokichi poked the detective in the ribs and chuckled when he cried out in surprise.

“AAAHHHH! Shit!”

“Neeheehee… you’re so sensitive, Shu.”

He prodded two more fingers into his sides, spurring more laughter and squirming. When Shuichi tried to push him off he launched a full out attack, spidering all ten fingers across his weakest spot: his stomach.

“GAAAAAAH! FUHAHAHAHACK!”

In just a few short minutes, Shuichi was reduced to a puddle of giggles who could barely fight back. He grabbed Kokichi’s wrists and tried to push him away, but the little gremlin had a vice grip. The tickling got more intense the more Shuichi tried to fight.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! KOKEEHEEHEECHEEEE!”

He only stopped when Shuichi started wheezing. He rolled off and grinned cheekily at his breathless friend.

“Gosh, you’re soooo cute when you’re struggling to breathe.”

“Why… do you always… do that?”

“Because you never tell me to stop.”

Shuichi blushed again, this time much more deeply. He was right… he never did. Damn! Had Kokichi caught on that he actually kinda… liked it?

He prayed to God he hadn’t. Now was not the time.

“N-never mind that! I came here to ask you about the black diamond that was stolen.”

“Yawn! You’re like, the millionth person to ask me about that. I had cops here yesterday tearing apart the place thinking I had it hidden somewhere. It took me hours to clean!”

“Wait… cops?”

Kokichi picked at his cuticles as he spoke. “Yeah, I guess they think since I’m the former leader of D.I.C.E that _I_ had something to do with the heist. Whatever. Like I have any need for a stupid diamond.”

“Is that the truth?”

Kokichi froze, meeting Shuichi’s eyes in an intense stare down. This always happened when Shuichi asked him this question. A thick tension sprung between the two. The purple haired boy narrowed his eyes.

At last, he broke the silence by suddenly changing the topic, much to Shuichi’s dismay.

“By the way, how are you and Kae-yay-day?”

Shuichi tensed upon hearing Kokichi’s nickname for his now ex-girlfriend. He shifted his eyes to the floor and hung his head.

“She dumped me.”

“Whaaaaat? No _way_?! Why?”

Shuichi wrapped his arms around his knees and hugged himself. “I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“Awwww, poor Shushu! It’s okay, I’ll be your rebound even if your heart still belongs to Kae-yay-day!”

“Stop messing around! It’s not funny…”

Kokichi stared at him blankly, blinking twice.

“Huh? I wasn’t trying to be funny… I’m 100% serious. I’ll be your rebound, your friend with benefits, hell, even your f-”

“Kich, knock it off! I’m really not in the mood for your bullshit right now.”

Kokichi visibly pouted as he was interrupted. “Hmph. I finally crack open my heart and let myself be vulnerable with you, and you shut me out completely. Why do you hurt me this way, Shushu??”

Out of nowhere, he broke out into crocodile tears and wailed louder than a newborn infant. Shuichi rolled his eyes. He couldn’t stand the fake crying. He was so damn immature sometimes.

“Anyway… you never answered my question. Were you involved with the heist?”

Kokichi suddenly stopped crying. He pointed a judgmental finger at Shuichi with tear streaks still on his cheeks and yelled at him dramatically. “I already told you, I didn’t do it! Why don’t you believe me?!”

“Because you lie all the time! I can never tell if you’re being honest!”

“Well I’m not lying now! So stop accusing me!”

In a flurry of limbs, the two of them lunged at each other. Hands grabbed wrists, legs kicked and wrapped around thighs and shins, and hair was pulled, all accompanied by the sound of grunting and small shrieks of pain. The struggle for power ended when five loose fingers dug into Shuichi’s sides as he lay on the carpet.

“AAAAAAH! Noohohoho!”

He retaliated by exerting as much force as possible, pushing his way on top and shoving his hands under Kokichi’s arms. The gremlin’s arms came to his sides immediately, attempting to protect himself but instead trapping his attacker’s hands. Kokichi sputtered and squealed as he struggled to get away.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAP NOT THEHEHEHERE!”

“Ha! Proof that you’re a liar! You told me you weren’t ticklish!”

“I’M NOHOHOHOHOT!”

“Heh, Kichi is so tick-a-lish… kichi kichi…”

The teasing seemed to make Kokichi squeal even louder. Shuichi was over the moon; he had never been able to tickle him until now. God knows how long he’d been waiting for this moment. For the first time, he was hearing his friend’s genuine and unrestrained laughter. It was high pitched, goofy, and irresistibly cute.

He decided to use the current situation to his advantage. He had to prove his hunch.

“I’m gonna ask you one more time. Did you have anything to do with the heist?”

“EEEHEEHEE-NOOOOO! It wasn’t MEEEHEEHEE!”

“Then who did it?”

“I DOHOHON’T KNOHOHOHOW!”

Shuichi moved lower, pinching his sides and ribs on the way to his stomach. He lightened up his administrations, stroking the skin on his belly with the lightest of touches. Kokichi’s laugh reduced to a giggle, but he still struggled nonetheless. His hands clutched the detective’s arms, but he didn’t have enough strength to pull them off.

 “Don’t lie, Kich. I know D.I.C.E. had something to do with it.”

“Eeeeeeeeeheehee! Oh my god, stahahahahap! It tickles so much!”

“I’ll stop when you tell me the truth.”

Kokichi looked like he was about to break. His face was red and his mouth spread wide open in a perpetual grin. Tears were starting to form in the corners of his eyes. Shuichi stopped tickling momentarily but didn’t remove his hands from his stomach.

“Come on, Kich… just for once, be honest…”

In a flash, the tables were turned. Kokichi seized the chance to get the upper hand by pushing Shuichi backwards and pinning him against the soft carpet. He climbed on top, holding his wrists above his head with one hand while the other hovered above his stomach.

“Ironic that the biggest liar in the world is telling _me_ to be honest.”

Shuichi struggled feebly. “What do you mean? I’m not a liar! Eeeheeheehee, nooo KokeeHEECHEE!”

Kokichi crawled his free hand under Shuichi’s shirt, scratching lightly at a patch of skin beneath his belly button. The detective giggled like a schoolgirl.

“Then prove it. Tell me why you never say stop when I tickle you.”

Shuichi felt his heart palpitate. Damn it! He had noticed. And he couldn’t try denying it now, not when he was in such a vulnerable position. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He decided to confess and makes things easy.

“Becahahahase… I like it!”

Kokichi smiled deviously. “I knew it. You’re such a perv, Shushu.”

Shuichi hollered in protested as his midsection continued to be clawed relentlessly. Kokichi’s tickles ranged from light strokes to harder scratches with his nails, varying from time to time to make it more torturous. All of them made Shuichi cackle loudly. After a while, he started making small circles around his belly button that made Shuichi worm his torso from left to right.

“Alright, next question mister detective… what are your true feelings for me?”

The question caught him completely off guard. Shuichi blushed madly, still twitching from the light tickles on his weak spot.

“Ngggh, wh-whahahat do you meeheeheen?”

Kokichi stopped briefly, letting him catch his breath. He had a deadpan stare.

“What are your true feelings for me?”

Shuichi felt his entire face and neck consumed by heat. He looked away, avoiding Kokichi’s gaze and struggling to find the right words.

“I… I’m… I’m happy we’re friends now and not enemies…”

“Okaaaay. And?”

“And… and, I like… spending time with you…”

“Blah blah blah. You’re still holding back the truth, Shuichi…”

Kokichi clamped down on a spot he knew would be deadly. His thumb was resting right above Shuichi’s hip bone. He squeezed lightly, causing his victim to jerk violently and bounce off the ground.

“AAAAAAAH! NOOOOHOHOHO!”

“How do you really feel about me?”

He stopped again. Shuichi gulped in large breaths of air. As much as he was secretly enjoying this, he was almost at his limit. And knowing Kokichi, he wouldn’t stop until he got an acceptable answer, even if it meant pushing him past his breaking point. Putting his pride and fear aside, he admitted defeat and confessed the deepest secret he had been hiding for so long.

“I… I think… I have… f-feelings for you...”

A silence fell between the two. The only sound was Shuichi’s heavy breathing and the wind blowing outside.

“… Are you serious?”

Shuichi finally got the nerve to face his friend. He met his gaze and saw that his eyes were slightly wet, but they were sparkling. He hadn’t expected that. Maybe a look of disgust. Or a sarcastic remark. Or some comment about how pathetic and gross he was. But none of those things left Kokichi’s mouth.

Could it be that… he felt the same?

“Yeah… that’s the truth.”

“What about Kaede?”

“I mean, I loved her too. But it’s different, or whatever. I don’t know.”

It suddenly dawned on him that Kaede knew. Her last words finally made sense. He mentally facepalmed himself for taking so long to realize it. Nice job, asshole. He seethed and cursed himself in his head.

She knew. And she’d left him so that he could figure it out for himself.

Kokichi looked down at the floor. He said nothing. After a few more seconds passed, he continued his line of questioning.

“For how long?”

“Ever since we were rescued. You always invited me over just to, like, talk or hangout. Kaede never wanted to talk about it, so it was nice to-“

Shuichi was cut off by the sensation of two soft lips pressing against his own. His eyes shot wide open, realizing Kokichi has pulled him into a kiss. His breath caught in his chest. His heart beat rapidly and threatened to break out of his ribcage. His lips tasted of grape flavored soda and peanut butter. They were soft as petals and gentle as dewdrops. Time seemed to stand still for that short, fleeting moment.

Finally, Kokichi pulled away. His cheeks were painted pink. He looked just as shocked as Shuichi did.

“Um…”

“That felt… nice.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “Reeeeeally?”

Shuichi smiled. “Really.”

The two of them lay there for a while longer, savoring the special moment for a few last seconds.

“So, what now?”

“I dunno. I guess just see how things go?”

“I did just break up with Kaede, so maybe…”

“Whatever. I already said I’m fine with being your rebound.”

Shuichi laughed out loud.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

Kokichi moved to get up, but Shuichi grabbed his arm.

“Wait… one more question. Be serious this time.”

“Yeeeees?”

“Did you really not have anything to do with the heist?”

“Neeheehee… who knows.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading. This took me quite a long time to write, and I really gave it my best effort! I'm still not 100% satisfied, but eventually I had to stop criticizing myself and just put it out there. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> P.S. This fic is in the same universe as my other Tenmiko fic, so if you'd like to know what happens next, these two *might* make an appearance :-)
> 
> Tumblr: @damecosquillas


End file.
